Death of Hypatia®

Author: Death of Hypatia Inc.

  • WIBCI Post #151

    WIBCI the advertisements (we are constantly bombarded with) weren’t created for the lowest common denominator?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool if everything weren’t dripping with condescension and they understood we are not as stupid as they think we are/wish we were?

    I personally found the following ‘commercial’ insulting. I do not believe Americans need to the services provided by the following ‘firm’, nor do I believe vast swaths of Americans are unintelligent enough to find comfort and wish to employ anything shrouded in such patronizing language. You decide:

    This commercial for a ‘law firm’ is one continuous shot of a man that purposely speaks and looks very much like a parody version of Johnnie Cochran on some uppers with an unsettling mustache and hostile arm gestures. He is standing in-front of a poorly executed courtroom Greenscreen with red captioned lists that continue to aggressively splash across the screen.

    He begins:

    ‘If you were in an accident that wasn’t your fault, your favorite attorney has a message for you…” (red arrow on screen points to the caption stating the obvious that ‘the speaker is not a lawyer.’)

    “Collision? Calamity? Catastrophe?” (I believe I once thought alliteration a good thing, read on and you will see why this is no longer a conviction of mine)

    “Are you: innocent? Faultless? Above reproach? (the redundancy hurts my educated brain and anyone who believes they are, ever were, or will be above reproach is not good people, so let’s stop reinforcing entitlement, no?)

    “If you want money, you need an attorney.” (not justice, financial relief, or morale redemption…..no….just money)

    “You need a bulldog, but finding an attorney is: laborious, strenuous, stupefying.” (now you are pissing me off, please stop talking to all people)

    “That’s why you need to call the # on your screen now. They’ll connect you with a legal expert. You have questions, they have answers. They know: the legaleeze, the lingo, the jargon, and the argo.” (if they meant ergo, which means therefore, than they should have explained the pronunciation better to the actor and the closed caption writer. Alternatively, giving them no credit, I believe they just made up the word ‘argo’ which Webster only believes is a large former constellation in the southern hemisphere.)

    “They will tell you how much money your case could be worth: $300,000? $2,000,000, $86,491? All sorts of numbers.” (yeah, I know those are numbers, patronizing dick.)

    “Slips and fall, work accidents, car, truck, bus, motorcycle, motorbike, e-bike, tandem bike; these bulldogs will make sure people pay, and if you don’t get paid, the attorneys don’t get paid, and I don’t get paid. So I compel you, I implore you, I beseech you to pick up that phone and call now to see what your case could be worth.”

    Grrrr-oooosssss I’m insulted and feel dirty, what your case is WORTH?! Does this shit actually resonate with the American public at large? Can’t you see that they are aggressively making fun of the very people they wish to call and employ them?

     

    Can you?

     

     … more “WIBCI Post #151”

  • Know Thyself #151

    Know Thyself through LITERATURE:

    Steppenwolf, can you sadly relate? Part III:

    The finale in the triumvirate following;  Know Thyself #133. and Know Thyself #142.

    The two previous passages talked about regretting wasting your present and the sweet recollections of those amazing moments in your life, the times when you truly lived. To me the moments that are the whole point of living, the goal of our lives. The previous posts about the passage from Steppenwolf discussed how fleeting and far between these are, and I asked whether YOU related.

    Here is the concluding post, #3:

    continuing with the theme of ‘moments that will be remembered as those tender pictures in your mind’s eye’:

    ‘Once it happened, as I lay awake at night, that I suddenly spoke in verses, in verses so beautiful and strange that I did not venture to think of writing them down, and then in the morning they vanished; and yet they lay hidden within me like the hard kernel within an old brittle husk. Once it came to me while reading a poet, while pondering a thought of Descartes, of Pascal; again it shone out and drove its gold track far into the sky while I was in the presence of my beloved. Ah, but it is hard to find this track of the divine in the midst of this life we lead, in the besotted humdrum age of spiritual blindness, with its architecture, its business, its politics, and its men! How could I fail to be a lone wolf, and an uncouth hermit, as I did not share one of its aims nor understand one of its pleasures?’

     

    Ugh. And this is on page 30-something! I have discovered not only that I can sadly relate but also that I need to read Steppenwolf in doses….tis heavy.… more “Know Thyself #151”

  • WIBCI Post #150

    WIBCI we had ENOUGH?

    Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

    It turns what we have into enough.

                                               -Melody Beatrice

    enough /ĭ-nŭf′/ adj:

    Sufficient to meet a need or satisfy a desire; adequate: synonym: sufficient.

    This word is important to all things associated with Death of Hypatia® and the cornerstone to everything I would like people to think about.

    What do YOU have ENOUGH of right here, right now, in this moment in time.

    … more “WIBCI Post #150”

  • Know Thyself #150

    Know Thyself through LESS

    Simplicity clears the mind; kindness opens the door

    -May Sarton

     

    I’ve thought about this quote and I agree.

    Less is always more. The shorter the lists of worries and things to anguish over the better. I really like playing the drums, but I am not good at it. It is an incredibly difficult instrument, each of your four appendages is doing something different than the other three. For me, being somewhat decent requires complete and unbreakable focus. I cannot think about what I did or didn’t do, nor what I still need to do. I cannot think about the questionable tone someone took, how annoying the general public was, nor how terrible the world has become. Plus I get to bang on things. After an hour of doing this, I feel amazing, not just the high you get from exertion, but I feel clear, smart, alert; like I could ace a test. In those wonderful moments, I feel no malice, I do not covet what others have, I do not feel sorry for myself. I feel grateful and kind.

    What do YOU think?… more “Know Thyself #150”

  • WIBCI Post #149

    WIBCI if HUMANS wrote all the magazine articles?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If AI stuck to calculating and quantifying and left human expression to the humans?

    On Jeopardy there was a category entitled: Two Word Magazine Names the ‘answer’ that appeared for 300 involved the naming of two supermodels, which of course gave away the ‘question’. While reflecting on how smart I am, I had one of those….wait, what was that moments and rewound. Listening to the entire ‘answer’ I found it quite disturbing, the part that said: ‘This magazine has been creating AI generated articles since 2023….’

    Um, come again?

    Sports Illustrated has been around since 1954. I would imagine its most important commodity are its journalists, those individuals who get personal, truly know the athletes, agents, family, friends, trainers, coaches, etc. The humans who have spoken with the greats in the sports world one-on-one over beers off the record, people who know what grandma’s meatballs taste like, people who were once athletes themselves and know why sports are important and need to be promoted, those with blood in their veins and thoughts in their head.

    We do not need computers to write magazine articles.… more “WIBCI Post #149”

  • Know Thyself #149

    Know Thyself through your LIKES and DISLIKES

    Per Wikipedia: Love on the Spectrum is an American reality television show. Based on the Australian show of the same name, it follows autistic cast members as they explore the dating world.

    You are introduced to a handful of autistic individuals looking for love. You meet each person documentary interview style and you learn quickly that they quite aware of who they are, what they do and do not like, and what they want their partner and future to look like. I was also impressed with the certainty that each one of them had a gift; the inability to lie.

    Point Autism.

    When each of them goes on a blind date, the audience meets them. You see them grinning on camera interspersed with a montage of images revealing their very specific likes and dislikes. And I mean specific. In the realm of…damn-you-REALLY-know-yourself specific. In fact, I was so fascinated by this bit that I watched every single episode and noted each blind date’s likes and dislikes which is in its entirety at the bottom of this post.

    I find that although these would not be at the top of MY list, I do agree with quite a few.

    For example I also LIKE: animals that eat with their hands, good vibes, walking on dry leaves, heavy metal music, the smell of roses, rubbing a dog’s belly, the smell of popcorn, the sound of pigeons, eating competitions, and opening presents.

    Likewise I concur and I DO NOT LIKE: clowns, styrofoam, clowns, aggressive birds, clowns, country music, clowns, celebrity obsession, clowns, people being rude to waitstaff, clowns, men wearing high shorts, clowns, people getting eaten in movies, or clowns.

    I find I’m not 100% in agreement as I cannot get on board with being psyched going to the dentist, rats, the smell of cow pastures, nor Nascar….and I DO like pineapple on pizza.

    What this exercise did do was try and get me to like my Love on the Spectrum-esque likes and dislikes and here is what I came up with:

    • I like giving gifts and eating in other countries, I do not like men in tank tops, selfish people, or clowns.

     

    What are YOURS?

     

    S1E1:

    • David likes lions and being in a car wash, he does not like horror movies or clowns.
    • Solomon likes writing poetry and good vibes, he does not like messy eaters or aggressive birds.

    S1E2:

    • Emma likes musical theatre and ghost hunting she does not like country music or being tickled.

    S1E3:

    • Rachel likes rubbing a dog’s belly and salsa dancing she does not like skunks or people losing their temper.

    S1E4:

    • Candida likes the smell of popcorn and going to the dentist she does not like wearing high heels or 80’s fashion.

    S1E6:

    • Connie likes Science Fiction and rats she does not like roller coasters or carbonated drinks.

    S2E1:

    • Matt likes vehicular cleanliness and WWII history he does not like celebrity obsession or hunting trophies.

    S2E2:

    • Jasmine likes horror movies and walking on dry leaves she does not like surprises or speakers in public spaces.

    S2E3:

    • Kate likes beavers and opening presents she does not like hot dogs or people breaking the rules.

    S2E4:

    • Kara likes Japanese kawaii and the sound of pigeons she does not like the smell of ham or people touching balloons.

    S2E5:

    • Maggie likes Vietnamese mossy frogs and witchcraft she does not like ventriloquists or people being rude to wait staff.
    • Sharona likes weight lifting and being pranked she does not like roller coasters or being late to a party.

    S2E6:

    • Talia likes turtles and roller skating and she does not like pineapple on pizza or assembling furniture.

    S3E1:

    • Kate likes slasher movies and the smell of fresh tennis balls she does not like nudist colonies or Pomeranians.

    S3E2:

    • Brandon likes kangaroo pouches and massage chairs he does not like wobbly tables or touching fish.
    • Georgie likes bird watching and eating competitions she does not like croutons or people watching loud videos in public.

    S3E3:

    • Shyann likes the smell of roses and scared cat videos and she does not like blowing bubble gum or broccoli.
    • Sonia likes heavy metal music and scarecrows she does not like stepping on sidewalk cracks or earthquakes.
    • Tyler likes Nascar and shih tzus he does not like rude people or men wearing high shorts.

    S3E4:

    • Tina likes cartoon Band-aids and Siberian cats she does not like reckless e-bike riders or toilets with high doors.

    S3E5:

    • Callie likes puppet shows and animals that eat with their hands she does not like people disagreeing or Styrofoam.

    S4E1:

    • Austin likes leopard geckos and the smell of cow pastures he does not like mean pranks or listening to auctioneers.

    S4E2:

    • Hailey likes hockey players fighting and men in suits she does not like scorpions or drivers breaking the rules.

    S4E3:

    • Eric likes Adelie penguins and musicals he does not like hospital stays or people getting eaten in movies.
    • Caroline likes playing the glockenspiel and puppets she does not like bathroom sensors that don’t work or close talkers.

    S4E6:

    • Melissa likes playful cats and action movies she does not like dog racing or people chewing loudly in the cinema.

     

     … more “Know Thyself #149”

  • WIBCI Post #148

    WIBCI Americans had more BALLS?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If more people were like Bruce Springsteen?

    The Boss was the musical guest on Stephen Colbert’s 2nd to last show (whose contract, after over a decade of ‘success’, was not renewed, allegedly due to political pressure aka people not having balls nor a sense of humor).

    “I am here in support tonight for Stephen, because you are the first guy in America who’s lost his show because we got a President who can’t take a joke. And because Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his ass to get what they want. Anyway Stephen, these are small-minded people, they hot no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about.

    This is for you.”

    Then Bruce Springsteen sang the only main stream fight song anyone of any generation has had enough balls to write under the current monarchal administration:

    The Streets of Minneapolis

    Through the winter’s ice and cold, down Nicollet Avenue
    A city aflame fought fire and ice ‘neath an occupier’s boots
    King Trump’s private army from the DHS, guns belted to their coats
    Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law or so their story goes

    Against smoke and rubber bullets, in the dawn’s early light
    Citizens stood for justice, their voices ringing through the night
    And there were bloody footprints where mercy should have stood
    And two dead left to die on snow-filled streets, Alex Pretti and Renee Good

    Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice singing through the bloody mist
    We’ll take our stand for this land and the stranger in our midst
    Here in our home they killed and roamed in the winter of ’26
    We’ll remember the names of those who died on the streets of Minneapolis

    Trump’s federal thugs beat up on his face and his chest
    Then we heard the gunshots and Alex Pretti lay in the snow dead
    Their claim was self-defense, sir, just don’t believe your eyes
    It’s our blood and bones and these whistles and phones against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies

    Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice crying through the bloody mist
    We’ll remember the names of those who died on the streets of Minneapolis

    Now they say they’re here to uphold the law but they trample on our rights
    If your skin is black or brown my friend you can be questioned or deported on sight
    In our chants of “ICE out now!” our city’s heart and soul persists
    Through broken glass and bloody tears on the streets of Minneapolis

    Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice singing through the bloody mist
    Here in our home they killed and roamed in the winter of ’26
    We’ll take our stand for this land and the stranger in our midst
    We’ll remember the names of those who died on the streets of Minneapolis
    We’ll remember the names of those who died on the streets of Minneapolis

    I don’t see anything in these lyrics a reasonable adult could disagree with, let alone argue against.

    Thank you Bruce.… more “WIBCI Post #148”

  • Know Thyself #148

    Know Thyself through the Colbert Questionert:

    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in its second to last ever show highlighted the Host himself, Stephen Colbert, putting him in the hot seat for the final Colbert Questionert. Mr. Colbert describes this as: ‘a set of 15 questions ergonomically calibrated to unearth a person’s true self.’

    Why don’t YOU give it a try?…..:

    1. What is the best sandwich?
    2. What was your first concert?
    3. What is the scariest animal?
    4. Apples or Oranges?
    5. Have you ever asked anyone for their autograph?
    6. What do you think happens when you die?
    7. Favorite Action Movie?
    8. Window or Aisle?
    9. Favorite Smell?
    10. Least Favorite Smell?
    11. Earliest Memory?
    12. Cats or Dogs?
    13. You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life: What is it? (not played continuously)?
    14. What number am I thinking? (asked by Stephen Colbert, since you are not on Late Night, IF you were asking someone to guess what number YOU were thinking, what would the number be?
    15. How would you describe the rest of your life in 5 words?
    … more “Know Thyself #148”

  • WIBCI Post #147

    WIBCI we celebrated our own MILESTONES

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If we recognized not just where we are, but where we started?

    It is one year today since I began blogging, this was the official launch of Deathofhypatia.com, and I have since successfully trademarked both the name and the logo since its online inception.

    Therefore I’m going to try something new in year 2, this year’s blog posts MAY include a look back at last years, aka year 1’s posts. Of course this will only be in practice if A) I do not have a new and burning subject to blog about and/or B) last year’s post was leaning towards lame. *Note, I of course can only do this because the world, without the aid of social media, has yet to become acquainted with this website and therefore no one will tire of a recap of what wasn’t read to begin with:)

    Therefore in honor of our anniversary, below are the first posts for both WIBCI and Know Thyself:

    • Know Thyself Post #1

      Know Thyself through PHILOSOPHY:

      I believe Focus is Key.

      Try this: Take a walk. Go outside if possible. Focus on consciously utilizing all five of your toes with each step you take.

      How is YOUR posture? Are YOUR shoulders up and scrunched or down and back like your shoulder blades could almost touch?

      If not, try and correct this consciously…. have you noticed how you can actually just tell your body what to do? You can actually make yourself taller, try it.

      Do YOU feel more in control?

      Imagine focusing like this on everything YOU do. What do YOU Think?

      Multi-tasking sucks.… more “Know Thyself Post #1”

     

    • WIBCI post #1

      Wouldn’t It Be Cool If BILLIONAIRES had souls?:

      WIBCI: The Billionaire that owns the largest online retailer and shipping outfit in the US (the fourth richest man in the world), partnered with the Billionaire that owns a US electric car company (the richest man in the world) – and converted the largest US shipping fleet of vehicles to ones that didn’t pollute our environment, you know the kind the richest man in the world makes?

      I think that would be Better for the Most.

      What do YOU Think?… more “WIBCI post #1”

    … more “WIBCI Post #147”

  • Know Thyself #147

    Know Thyself through your sense of ENOUGH:

    Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough.

    -Melody Beattie

    Enough is a big word in the Death of Hypatia world. Realizing this concept is a cornerstone of all I’m asking you to think about.

    Per the Dictionary; ENOUGH: /ee–nuhf/adj/:

    1. adequate for the want or need; sufficient for the purpose or to satisfy desire.

    What positive things do YOU have enough of in your life?

    … more “Know Thyself #147”

  • WIBCI Post #146

    WIBCI celebrities stopped SELLING OUT?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If they were going to use up/ruin their clout, why couldn’t it be for a cause, not KahShield.

    There once was the Golden Age of Hollywood, described by scroller.net as:

    ..more than just a glamorous era; it was a revolution in storytelling, star power, and silver screen magic. Between the late 1920s and early 1960s, a wave of iconic actors and actresses captivated the world with unforgettable performances and timeless style. These stars weren’t just famous, they defined fame as we know it today.

    Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, James Stewart, Bette Davis, Charlie Chaplin, Grace Kelley, Marlon Brando, and Elizabeth Taylor were icons. Katherine Hepburn was a humanitarian ambassador for UNICEF, Jimmy Stewart served in WWII, and Elizabeth Taylor was a pioneering activist for HIV/AIDS. Grace Kelley was an actual royal princess. They had class, were looked up to for good reason (for the most part), they made a difference with their fame, they made art.

    Oh how times have changed….

    Billy Bob Thornton, I don’t wish to guess where you are, who your carrier is, nor the strength of your signal. I don’t care, weren’t you a bad boy at one point, please go away.

    Samuel L. Jackson cheapening himself for Dice Dreams? The SNL Weekend Update guys AND Jason Alexander also partaking of the gambling app bandwagon. Don’t you guys invest?

    Ludicrous hawking vitamins! Busta Rhymes handing over his soul to Walmaht! Christopher Walken…. oh Mr. Walken…Mr. ‘More Cowbell’…..light beer….. why?

    Kevin Hart and Shaq….YOU ARE OVER EXPOSED.

    The guys from Scrubs whose commercial campaign has lasted longer than the show, its going away, and its comeback; STOP IT.

    Tom Brady, YOU AREN’T FUNNY, you are never going to be funny, please stop trying; watching you try and appear human with emotions is as painful as watching people dance on Beverly Hills 90210.

    Liberty Biberty was funny for a hot second….. you killed it…..happy now?

     … more “WIBCI Post #146”

  • Know Thyself #146

    Know Thyself through RIGHT AND WRONG

    Right is right,

    even if everyone is against it,

    and wrong is wrong,

    even if everyone is for it.

        •  William Penn

    I believe in gut feelings. I believe our bodies know when something is off. That pit in your stomach, when the hairs on your arms stand up, when you listen a little deeper and are more aware than normal. I had an older sibling give me advice when I started ‘going out’: 1. the first thing you do when you arrive at a celebration is find the second exit/entrance to the establishment, 2. have a pre-approved meet-up-spot/plan-B plan with at least one reliable associate ‘just in case’, and 3. pay attention to your Spidey senses; when they tell you to go………get pizza.

    Instinctually this ‘sense’ exists in every animal, a necessity to many for survival; but like all muscles this sense can atrophy in those that fail to use it. Some humans have mastered the ability to ignore such feelings, but I believe they still feel them. I think even the biggest narcissist ‘feels’ when they are doing something wrong like everyone else, they are just able to rationalize that whatever advantage the act supplies them with is worth any corroding effects to the parts of them that are still decent.

    End of the day, I concur with Mr. Penn:

    Right is right,

    even if everyone is against it,

    and wrong is wrong,

    even if everyone is for it.

    I would replace the period for a comma and add the following line to the end.

    because everyone feels it.

    I do not believe Right and Wrong are subjective. What do YOU think?

     

     … more “Know Thyself #146”

  • WIBCI Post #145

    WIBCI our leaders messages had SUBSTANCE?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If we were governed by those who evolved towards a better future for us?

    the phrase M/A/G/A is today’s version of ‘Four legs good, two legs better.” (This is from Animal Farm by George Orwell, a three hour audio book that IS worth usurping one evening’s worth of scrolling, trolling, or gaming, in my opinion)

    The phrase M/A/G/A is sheer rubbish propaganda. How can you have such a vague, subjective slogan that sheep willingly advertise on their person, lawn, and/or pickup truck, without some clarification? Does the populace just love an acronym so much that they continually turn a blind eye to injustice and ambiguity, or are they avoiding the mortal humiliation of being wrong?!?

    When was this ‘great’ time in America anyways? Whom exactly was it ‘great’ for? Cause if it’s white, rich, old, men; when exactly were their liberties trampled upon? When were they disadvantaged? When did they not receive the lion’s share of everything?

    To me M/A/G/A means Middle-Class Americans Give All while the white, rich, old, men, gladly take it and innact laws to keep it that way. And Americans wear the hat while the 1% laugh all the way to their retirement compounds.

    Call me naive but I want my leaders to be heroes, not inarticulate, aggrandizing, narcissistic, tyrants, who are ‘good at business’.

    In Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces he discusses both the tyrant and the hero:

    The inflated ego of the tyrant is a curse to himself and his world. No matter how his affairs may seem to prosper, self terrorized, fear haunted, alert at every hand to meet and battle back the anticipated aggressions of his environment, which are primarily the reflection of the uncontrollable impulses to acquisition within himself. The giant of self achieved independence is the world’s messenger of disaster. Even though in his mind he may entertain himself that with humane intentions. Wherever he sets his hand there is a cry, if not from the housetops then, more miserably, within every heart. A cry for the redeeming hero. The carrier of the shining blade whose blow, whose touch, whose existence, will liberate the land….

    The hero is the man of self achieved submission. But submission to what? That precisely is the riddle that today we have to ask ourselves, and that it is everywhere the primary virtue and historic deed of the hero to have solved. As professor Arnold J. Toynbee indicates in his six volume study of the laws of the rise and disintegration of civilizations: schism in the soul, schism in the body social will not be resolved by any scheme of return to the good ole days, archaism, or by the programs guaranteed to render an ideal projected future… or even by the most realistic hard-headed work to weld together again the deteriorated elements. Only birth can concur death. The birth, not of the old thing again, but of something new, within the soul, within the body social there must be, if we are to experience long survival…..  

    Tyrant or Hero?

     … more “WIBCI Post #145”

  • Know Thyself #145

    Know Thyself through what you expect in a leader

    I’ve thought about it and the following is a list of the qualities and/or what I would like to see my political leader(s) do:

    • Take a joke
    • Learn lessons
    • Admit faults
    • Know their children’s birthdays
    • Experience empathy
    • Have lifelong friend(s)
    • Act honorably
    • Have emotions
    • Pay taxes
    • Be well read
    • Described as decent
    • Know history
    • Have a hero

    What is important to YOU?

     … more “Know Thyself #145”

  • WIBCI Post #144

    WIBCI Republicans wanted Americans to vote?

    Wouldn’t It Be Cool If Republicans didn’t need to cheat to remain in power?

    What if Republicans were good enough at their jobs and thereby didn’t require gerrymander or stooping to changing voting rights to be re-elected? WIBCI Republicans did what was Better for the Most of their constituents and thus won elections because they got the most votes fair and square?

    I would rather win anything justly, against a foe at full strength, on an even playing field, without a net or corked bat. This way, if I win, I truly won, and if I lost, it was because, in that moment, I wasn’t the best, and only the best should win.

    Cheaters are undeserved and should not be honored or revered in my humble opinion. Cheaters expect accolades, but when received they do not appreciate, reciprocate, nor respect you for them.

    So VOTE…..while you still can.… more “WIBCI Post #144”

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